Upper for shoes with perforated sole to be mounted on ventilated or perspirating bottoms

ABSTRACT

An upper for shoes provided with a monolithic structure complete with a sole obtained from molding rubber or thermoplastic materials, characterized in that said sole is provided with one or more through openings.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

NAMES OF PARTIES TO A MINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO AN SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present patent application for industrial invention relates to anupper for shoes with perforated sole to be mounted on ventilated orperspirating bottoms molded from plastic materials.

The scope of the present invention also comprises the shoe provided withsaid upper.

2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98

The peculiarities and advantages of the present invention will beclearer following to a brief description of the state of the art.

For a long time now the market has offered boots of different heightsformed of a leather or plastic upper mounted, with the interposition ofa sole that closes it in lower position, on a bottom mostly made ofrubber or equivalent plastic materials.

More recently shoes provided with ventilated bottoms have appeared onthe market, with the advantage of providing air exchange to the user'sfeet.

In order to ensure such a functionality said bottoms are normallyprovided with compressible pads that are actually capable—being subjectto the pressure discharged on them at every step by the front of thefoot—of generating a pumping effect to extract the air contained in theupper and convey it outside the shoe by means of a non-return ventvalve.

Moreover, other models of shoes are known, being provided with a bottomwith shock-absorbing properties, in association or not with saidventilating properties, in order to exert an advantageous anti-shockfunction in favor of the users feet.

Finally, sonic models of shoes are provided with a bottom withperspirating properties, which is able to ensure a fresh air flowtowards the front of the foot, and also capable of preventing water onthe ground from rising again inside the shoe.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Starting from such a state of the art, the specific purpose of thepresent invention is to devise an upper for shoes molded from plasticmaterials that allows the shoe provided with it to acquire advantageousventilating or perspirating properties.

Another purpose of the present invention is to allow the shoe providedwith the upper of the invention to acquire said ventilating orperspirating properties with great structural simplicity, easy assemblyand limited cost.

First of all, it must be noted that the new upper that achieves saidpurposes is configured as a “monolithic body” made of rubber ofthermoplastic materials.

Such a body incorporates both a perimeter section with verticaldevelopment designed to “embrace” the user's foot (that it to say theupper) and the sole that is the horizontal surface where the user's footlies.

The main peculiarity of the invention is that the sole of said“monolithic body” is provided with through openings for air passage frominside outside and vice versa.

In such a way the upper of the invention can be mounted on acorresponding bottom for shoes, possibly a molded one, of the typeprovided with ventilating or perspirating properties.

The benefits generated by said bottoms, in terms of ventilation orperspiration for the user's foot, can be experienced inside themonolithic upper. This is because the sole incorporate in saidmonolithic upper is provided with through openings that do not interfereWith air circulation between upper and bottom.

When the upper of the invention is mounted on a ventilating bottom, saidopenings of the sole are crossed by “forced” air jets coming from thebottom.

As it is known, this type of bottoms is capable of generating, when theyare compressed by the weight of the users foot discharged on it duringwalking, a pump-effect capable of favoring the extraction of atmosphericair (from the outside of the same bon and the energetic transfer of airupwards, that is to say towards the upper.

When the same upper is mounted on a perspirating bottom. said openingsof the sole prevent interference with the “natural” air exchange betweenbottom and upper that is desired inside the shoe.

In particular, said perspirating bottoms of known type are provided onthe front of the foot with holes across the entire thickness that areinternally closed by membranes made of materials of known type that arecapable of interfering with the ii sing of water from the ground, butnot with air passage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For purposes of clarity, the description of the invention continues withreference to the enclosed drawing, which is intended for purposes ofillustration only and not in a limiting sense, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view with a longitudinal plane of the upper of theinvention;

FIG. 1 A is an axonometric view of the upper of FIG. 1;

FIG. 1 B is an axonometric view of a second embodiment of the upper ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view with a longitudinal plane of a ventilatingbottom designed to be coupled with said upper;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the bottom of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the upper of the invention (1) has a monolithicstructure obtained by molding, rubber or thermoplastic materials, ofwhich the sole (1 a) is an integral part.

The front of the sole (1 a) is provided with openings that consist intransversal rows of through holes (1 b) ending inside the upper (1), asshown in FIG. 1 A.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1 B, the openings of the sole (1 a) consist ina large window (10 b) covered with a corresponding piece ofair-permeable fabric (11 b).

Moreover, it must be noted that the, according, to the preferredembodiment for boots shown in FIGS. 1, 1 A, and 1 B, the upper (1)incorporates in correspondence with one or both sides, at the malleolusheight, vertical bands (1 c) made with elasticated fabric.

Inside the upper (1) an ordinary hygienic insole (3) that is permeableto air is preferably mounted.

The latter is made with air-permeable material or material that is notintrinsically air-permeable, but provided with through holes obtained incorresponding positions to the openings (1 b, 10 b) of said sole (1 a).

Moreover, such an upper (1) can be mounted on bottoms molded from rubberor thermoplastic materials, of known type, provided with ventilating orperspirating properties.

In such a case, the openings (1 b, 10 b) provided, on the sole (1 a)generate an advantageous, either forced or not, air exchange between thebottom (2) and the inside of the upper (1).

Moreover, it must be noted that the present invention provides that theupper (1) preferably cooperates with a specific ventilatingshock-absorbing bottom of new design (2), which is shown in FIGS. 2 and3.

To that end it must be noted that also this specific bottom (2) isobtained from molding rubber or thermoplastic materials.

The top of said bottom (2) is hollow and provided with a sort of tub,which comprises a first chamber (C1) situated in the front of the footand a second chamber (C2) situated inside the heel.

From the bottom of the two chambers (C1, C2) corresponding series ofvertical partitions (2 b, 2 c) protrude, being arranged in multipletransversal rows.

In particular, the partitions (2 b) housed inside the first chamber (C1)are elastically deformable; moreover, in order to increase flexibility,they preferably have a saw-toothed profile.

Moreover, the tub of said bottom (2) is associated with a non-returnvent valve (4) inserted in the transversal edge of the heel.

When the upper of the invention (1) is coupled with the bottom (2), thesole (1 a) of the upper (1) closes the two chambers (C1, C2) from thetop, lying on the vertical partitions (2 b, 2 c).

In such a condition the through holes (1 b) provided in the front of thesole (1 a) are arranged in correspondence with the first chamber (C1)from which said flexible partitions (2 b) protrude upwards.

It is important to say that the permanent fixing between the upper ofthe invention (1) and the bottom (2) can be obtained in a very practicaland quick way, also in view of the fact that said parts are made withthe same materials.

In particular, such an operation can be made by gluing or heat sealing,without requiring the long burdensome sewing operations that are typicalof most traditional shoes.

To that end the bottom (2) is surrounded, by a flat perimeter border (2a) on which the sole (1 a) of the upper (1) lies perimetrally; it beingprovided that the stable coupling of the two components (1, 2) isobtained on the perimeter border (2 a) by means of gluing or heatsealing.

Still referring to the aforementioned figures, the use and operationmodes of the shoe obtained by coupling the upper of the invention (1)and the corresponding ventilated bottom (2) will be illustrated.

As soon as the user of a similar shoe (S) starts walking, theadvantageous ventilation effect is produced in favor of the upper (1).

In particular, every time the shoe (S) lies on the ground, the weight ofthe user generates the compression of said deformable partitions (2 b)provided inside the first chamber (C1) of the bottom (2).

Said compression of the deformable partitions (2 b) allows for heightreduction of the section of said first chamber (C1) that contains themand consequently for compression of the air contained inside it.

In such a condition air tends to flow outside the bottom (1) throughsaid non-return vent valve (4).

Instead, during the aerial phase of every step, because of the absenceof pressure exerted by the user's weight, the deformable partitions (2b) spontaneously take an erected position and the chamber (C1)containing those resumes its “natural” height and consequently itsoriginal volume.

A further consequence of the new expansion of the first chamber (C1) ofthe bottom (2) is to recall the air contained in the upper (1) throughthe holes (1 b) obtained in the front of the sole (1 a).

It is worthless saying that the following compressions and expansions ofsaid chamber (C1) of the bottom (2) are sufficient to generate acontinuous air exchange inside the upper of the invention (1), thusconsiderably increasing comfort of the foot contained in the shoe (S)provided with it.

Finally, it must be noted that, although in the enclosed figures theupper of the invention (1) has the structure of a typical upper for aboot, the same can be given any other configuration alternativelydesigned for high or low shoes, laced or not laced shoes, women's ormen's shoes.

1. Upper for shoes provided with monolithic structure complete with soleobtained from molding rubber or thermoplastic materials, wherein saidsole is provided with one or more through openings.
 2. Upper for shoesas claimed in claim 1, wherein said through openings of the solecomprise small holes.
 3. Upper for shoes as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid through openings of the sole comprise one or more windows coveredwith corresponding pieces of air-permeable fabric.
 4. Shoe wherein it isprovided with the upper claimed in claim 1, in cooperation with a bottomwith ventilating properties.
 5. Shoe wherein it is provided with theupper claimed in claim 1, in cooperation with a bottom with perspiratingproperties.
 6. Shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein said ventilatingbottom provided with monolithic structure obtained from molding rubberor thermoplastic materials is provided on the front of the foot with apumping chamber with vent valve, incorporating elastically deformablepartitions with basically vertical direction; it being provided thatsaid pumping chamber is adapted to be closed on top by the front withopenings of the sole of the upper of the invention.
 7. Shoe as claimedin claim 6, wherein said elastically deformable partitions of thepumping chamber of the bottom are provided with saw toothed-profile. 8.Shoe as claimed in claim 6, wherein said bottom is surrounded by a flatperimeter border that acts as lying and fixing surface for the sole ofthe upper.
 9. Shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein said upper is coupledwith the bottom by means of a perimeter gluing line.
 10. Shoe as claimedin claim 4, wherein said upper is coupled with the bottom by means of aperimeter heat sealing line.
 11. Shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein theupper is provided with an air-permeable insole.
 12. Shoe as claimed inclaim 11, wherein said insole is made of an intrinsically air-permeablematerial.
 13. Shoe as claimed in claim 11, wherein said insole is madeof a non-air permeable material and is provided with a plurality ofthrough holes on the front of the foot.
 14. Shoe as claimed in claim 4,wherein said vent valve associated with said pumping chamber is insertedin the transversal border of the heel of the bottom.
 15. Shoe as claimedin claim 4, wherein said bottom is provided on the heel with a secondchamber that contains corresponding partitions with basically verticaldirection.